We are five organisations working together using the Housing First approach to end homelessness

About Housing First

It’s about ending homelessness – not managing it.

Housing First Auckland believes that permanent, secure, appropriate, safe housing is a basic human right for all. Housing First recognises that it is easier for people to address issues such as mental health and substance use, once they are housed. The priority is to quickly move people into appropriate housing and then immediately provide wrap-around services to support their success. The goal of Housing First is to end homelessness - not to manage it.

Who we work with

In our experience, people don’t choose to be homeless.

Our Housing First services are for chronically homeless people with multiple and complex needs. Across the city, we are reaching out to people who need help in the communities and areas known for rough sleeping including people living in cars and also with people living in boarding houses. We work with people of all ages.

About our collective

Homelessness is a complex issue that no single organisation has the ability to solve.

We are five organisations working together using the Housing First approach. Our goal is that homelessness in Auckland will be rare, brief and non-recurring. The strength of our collective is its multi-agency approach to providing ongoing and sustained wrap-around support services to help people stay in their homes and never return to homelessness. We work with people who are chronically homeless in the Auckland City Centre, and Central, West and South Auckland. We find them homes and then continue to work them to support them to keep their tenancies.

Ira Mata, Ira Tangata: Auckland's Homeless Count

To solve a problem, you first need to accurately understand it.

Ira Mata, Ira Tangata, Auckland's first region-wide Point in Time count was led by Housing First Auckland with support and funding from Auckland Council. The count aimed to better understand the scale of unsheltered homelessness and people in temporary accommodation across the Auckland region. Initial findings show that approximately 800 people were living without shelter across in Auckland on 17 September 2018.